


Lessons In Magic & Life

by Anonymous



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Credence Barebone Gets a Hug, Credence Barebone Learning Magic, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Hijinks & Shenanigans, M/M, One Shot, Protective Original Percival Graves, magical potions, smol credence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2017-01-10
Packaged: 2018-09-16 15:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9278795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Credence is staying with Real!Graves indefinitely, and with that, comes trying to learn to use his magic.Luckily, there's further magic to help with that.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [[Fan Art] Small Comforts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9226166) by [x57](https://archiveofourown.org/users/x57/pseuds/x57). 



The potion was to help Credence get better control of his power, to take him back to where he should’ve been, when he should have gotten a letter for Ilvermorny, and it should have been the happiest day of his life.

But instead, that moment was delayed by over a decade, and now, today, standing in front of Percival Graves, with the help of some fairly clever brewing skills, it will finally happen.

Credence looked up at him from beneath his new clothes, bought shortly after he’d come to stay with Percival, which were now swimming around his smaller body, and he was smiling, just a little.

“I guess it works?”

Percival nodded, and set the empty vial down.

“Do you feel okay?”

Credence held up a hand, shaking back his overlong sleeve, and wiggled his fingers. His palms and the back of his hands were long since healed; the first day he’d spend in Percival’s care was spent on just that, careful attention to detail to ensure he would have no long lasting reminders of the hell he survived.

“Yeah, I think so.”

“So, why don’t you take this, and try lighting that candle over there.”

Percival handed Credence his wand, gently guiding him to wrap his still long fingered hand around the handle, just before the silver trimmed hilt.

“Go on.”

Credence bit his lip in concentration, and his brows furrowed beneath his grown out bowl cut bangs, and Percival fought back a laugh.

He had always been intriguing and even beautiful in a way, long before he’d known the boy wasn’t just a no-maj, or even a squib, but now, he was utterly heart breaking in his younger form.

Adorable, and quite determined to use his magic, and not let it use him.

It only took a couple tries before the candle was glowing, and Credence lowered the wand to step closer, as if hypnotized by the flame.

“Don’t stare too long.”

Percival warned him, and the boy blinked, instantly turning to him, brows still meeting on his forehead,

“Why not?”

He stepped over towards the boy, reaching up to thumb at his temples, and running his fingers through the messy dark waves,

“You’ll hurt your eyes, magic or not.”

“Oh.”

Credence was staring at him now, as intently as he’d looked at the candle, and Percival forgot what he’d been about to say, what spell for him to try next.

He blinked, trying to steady himself, and dropped his hand, missing the way the boy’s face fell.

“Why don’t you put the candle out, then trying levitating it?”

“Okay.”

Credence performed the spells perfectly on his first try, and Percival couldn’t help smiling and giving him a round of applause. All the reading he’d been doing while Percival got back into the swing of things at MACUSA had clearly paid off.

He was a quick learner.

“Mister Graves, could we take a break? My head is starting to hurt.”

Percival nodded, moving to retrieve his wand, and he noted how Credence seemed to relax just from the surrender of the object,

“Of course. How about we have some hot chocolate?”

“Yes please.”

Credence’s smile was almost brighter than the sun at that, and Percival had to fight a strong urge to scoop him into his arms for a hug.

He was just sweet and while always innocent, much more so as he was now.

The potion would wear off in an hour, so there was only a bit of time left before he’d return to his normal appearance.

Percival would still find himself staring over at him, as he drank the cocoa and then left his chair to curl up on the couch, palms pressed together beneath his cheek.

He tended to come home from work and find Credence that way every afternoon, usually with a pile of books beside him.

Now, small, Percival could sit beside him, with plenty of room left on the couch to lay down himself if he chose, but instead, he just watched the boy as he slept.

He opened his eyes with a start, and realized he’d drifted off at some point, and Credence was still there, resting his head on Percival’s lap, cheek pressed to his thigh, returned to his normal size and height, now scrunched up slightly, knees tucked almost under his chin, hair flopping away from his neck, so that Percival could reach down and brush it back from his forehead, before tracing a finger along the boy’s jawline, and down, petting him almost.

“Mister Graves?”

Percival’s hand froze, and he shifted to look down properly, as Credence turned onto his back, and stared up at him, eyes blinking away his sleepiness.

“Yes my boy?”

“Thank you for today’s lesson. I hope we can do it again.”

Percival nodded and ran his hand through the boy’s hair again,

“Of course. It was just the first of many.”

Credence hummed, and closed his eyes, trying to nuzzle against Percival’s hand,

“Good. I like you being taller than me.”

Percival gulped.

That certainly had lots of interpretations.

*

Credence had always felt small, always tried to remain so, hunching his shoulders when he went to hand out pamphlets, and ducking his head down when people would push past him. Mister Graves was the first person he’d ever known who made him want to stand tall, and didn’t frighten him with his presence.

He always felt safe with Mister Graves, and the magic lessons were no exception. The man trusted him to use his wand, and he gifted him with a complicated magical drink that helped him have better direction over his own power.

It made him shorter, and look younger, but he felt exactly the same inside.

He could look up at Mister Graves, and feel the weight of his intense gaze, the warmth of his hands that now swallowed up his own, showing him the proper movement and grip to use on the wand for whatever spells he was trying to practice.

“Do you understand, you must focus, move your hand then speak the words?”

Credence nodded, and then gritted his teeth, staring at the kettle full of water, which he was to turn into steam.

Unfortunately he stumbled over the words, and all that happened was the lid shot off the top of the pot and Percival was waving a hand in front of him to throw up a shield, for when the lid landed down on the kitchen floor, it shattered.

“Oops.”

Percival chuckled, and Credence knew he wasn’t angry.

“It’s quite all right. It’ll happen, you can’t be perfect.”

It was like the man had punched him in the stomach, all the air seemed to deflate from his lungs. He barely felt the man’s wand slip from his fingers, and he collapsed to the floor.

“I can’t?”

His voice was a whisper and his overlarge clothing was barely a comfort to him as he kneeled on the cold tile, fighting to breathe.

“Oh Credence, oh my boy, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. You are wonderful, you’re so special. I just mean, you’re being too hard on yourself, expecting every time to be like it was with the candle.”

Mister Graves’ hands were cupping his face, forcing him to look upwards, and he did, blinking back tears, only to find the man kneeling before him, and smiling as gently as he could.

“I’m special?”

Mister Graves nodded, and then leaned in, pressing a ghost of a kiss to his forehead, but he could feel the touch burning on his skin even as the man moved away, dropping his hands from his face to pull him to his feet.

His knees wobbled, and the man caught him easily.

He had always been thin and probably would have blown away with a stiff breeze, so the saying went, but now, Mister Graves could hold him in his strong arms like he was nothing, even with his clothing bundled against him.

“There now, are you okay?”

Credence nodded, and pressed forward, nuzzling his face into the crook of Mister Graves’ neck and shoulder, inhaling a deep breath of his cologne.

It was spicy and delicious, reminding him of the tea that Miss Tina brought him sometimes, when she came to visit, or check up on him when Mister Graves couldn’t get away during lunch.

He was much busier, and had many things to do in the day at work, as he’d told Credence many times.

He wrapped his arms around Mister Graves’ neck, and felt a tingling in his fingertips, and the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

The potion was wearing off.

“Can I go take a nap?”

Mister Graves didn’t set him down until they reached his room, and even then, he never acted like Credence was too heavy for him to hold, restored to his regular self.

“Of course. You need your rest.”

Credence’s hand shot out to grab Mister Graves’ closest one,

“Wait. Don’t leave, please.”

The man turned back to smile down at him,

“If that’s what you want.”

Credence nodded, and shifted over so the man could climb in behind him, and hug him close, his strength and warmth surrounding him in a protective hold.

 


End file.
